


Exclusive

by in_the_bottle



Category: Merlin - Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-04
Updated: 2013-10-04
Packaged: 2017-12-28 10:50:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 958
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/991169
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/in_the_bottle/pseuds/in_the_bottle
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"<i>With the deal to the Avalon Satellite Communications Network (ASCN) firmly sealed, Arthur Pendragon talks to our own Caelia Lincoln about hard work, business, and love.</i>"</p>
            </blockquote>





	Exclusive

**Author's Note:**

> Found this on my hard drive, thought I'd dust it off and post it. I don't remember writing it, but apparently I did way back in 2009. I don't even remember I ever wrote Merlin fanfic, but apparently I did. I think this was a teaser for some epic modern day AU I had in mind but never got around writing. Uh.... enjoy? Not beta'd, so let me know if you spot any mistakes.

_**Arthur's destiny revealed**_  
Caelia Lincoln  
October 25, 2013

_With the deal to the Avalon Satellite Communications Network (ASCN) firmly sealed, Arthur Pendragon talks to our own Caelia Lincoln about hard work, business, and love._

Arthur Pendragon is not afraid to be known for his cutthroat approach in the boardrooms. In 2009, he charged into the telecommunications scene and secured the distribution rights for Time Warner's online and mobile contents, stealing the thunder from communications giants British Telecom and Virgin Communications.

If there had been any doubts in the younger Pandragon's dedication and his skills as a businessman, the ASCN deal should put them all to rest.

"It was insane, the number of hours everyone put in to secure the contract. Sheer hard work; late nights, weekends, everyone at Camelot gave it their best and more," Pendragon says. "I spent so many nights sleeping on the sofa in my office that I almost forgot how it felt like to sleep in a bed."

Today we are sitting on yet another sofa; this time in Pendragon's penthouse in central London. The apartment is tastefully designed and decorated throughout, but there is a sense of "lived-in-ness" that points to the fact that this is home to the heir of Castle Genesis, the world's largest bio-genetic engineering firm. Pendragon is clearly comfortable with his surroundings, wearing a faded pair of blue jeans and a long-sleeved red t-shirt, a rare sight in the last few years. Even rarer still is this insight to his personal life, having gone from being under constant media limelight in the early 2000s, to only giving a handful of interviews in the last seven years. Pendragon has managed to turn his life from being an open book to one that's somewhat mysterious.

Securing the £350 million ASCN contract meant that Pendragon's company, Camelot Limited is not just one of the fastest growing telecommunications and media company, but one of the nation's largest corporate.

Confidence, determination, and sophistication defines Pendragon, with no sign of the cocky, party-going, playboy millionaire persona of his younger days. There is no doubt that the younger Pendragon has firmly established himself as his own man, out from the shadow of his father's influence, Uther Pandragon, CEO and owner of Castle Genesis Limited.

"I still throw a good party, and I'm sure there are a lot of people out there who'd still describe me as cocky," he laughs.

Still cocky and party-going, what about the third aspect then?

"Well," Pendragon says with a small and surprisingly, shy smile. "Maybe not so much of a playboy any more."

"Better not at all," chimes a voice from the edge of the living room, bringing with it a waft of the heavenly aroma of coffee. Dr. Merlin Emrys, Pendragon's fiancé and partner of six years, sets down two mugs on the coffee table. Pendragon immediately reaches for his mug, a look of pure bliss on his face as he takes a sip.

"Best coffee this side of the Channel," he proclaims. He was right.

Emrys is the reason behind Pendragon's disappearance from the public limelight. The couple met at Castle Genesis's Christmas party in 2006. Pendragon had just returned from Harvard where he completed his MBA and was just starting up Camelot Limited. Emrys had just finished his PhD and was working as a geneticist at Castle Genesis.

"It was hate at first sight," Emrys says jokingly.

"He managed to spill his drink all over me and had the gall to call me a prat," Pendragon added, his affection for Emrys clear.

So how did they go from nemesis to lovers?

"Destiny," the pair chorus and laughs.

"From the first time we met, there was just something about Merlin," Pendragon adds. "And of course, for the next few months, it was like he was stalking me. The bank, restaurants, petrol station, everywhere I went, he was there."

"Oh, don't flatter yourself. I came _this_ –" Emrys held out his right hand, with his thumb and index finger barely an inch apart. " – close to calling triple-nine and reporting Arthur for stalking. I thought he was trying to drive me insane as payback for ruining his suit at the party."

"We managed to convince each other that we weren't stalkers or out for revenge, and ended up going for coffee," Pendragon says still smiling. "One thing lead to another, and here we are."

Having lived his entire life under the limelight, how had he managed to keep his relationship with Emrys quiet until now?

"Trust me, I wanted to tell the world! I guess this is what I'm doing now, telling the world: Merlin's mine, so hands off!" Pendragon says laughing, but there is a note of seriousness in his eyes.

"It was my idea to keep it quiet," Emrys says. "I had no idea where we were going in terms of our relationship back then. I didn't want the whole world to know about it only to make a fool of myself. Unlike Arthur, I haven't lived my life among the glossy pages of magazines and newspapers. I didn't want to have to deal with the general public knowing about my private life, and Arthur has always respected my wishes and protected me from that."

Looking back at his journey so far, Pendragon has no regrets.

"Everything I've done had lead me here, to this moment. I've build Camelot from nothing, and through the hard work of a lot of people, it has grown to become one of the biggest players in the industry," he says, leaning forward and putting his empty coffee mug down on the table. "As for my personal life," Pendragon's smile is blinding as he turns to look at Emrys. "Definitely no regrets there."

The End


End file.
